“Thinking about Assata Shakur on her 71st birthday,” said Marc Lamont Hill. “She wrote the second book that changed (and saved) my life. She taught me about the value and power of Freedom Dreams. She showed me the beauty of struggle.”

Assata Shakur is an alias for FBI most-wanted terrorist and Black Liberation Army (BLA) member, Joanne Deborah Chesimard. In 1977, Chesimard was convicted of first degree murder, assault and battery of a police officer, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill, illegal possession of a weapon, and armed robbery. She would later escape from prison when visited by fellow BLA members. She has been off the radar ever since, but may be hiding in Cuba.

“And she proved that ‘a wall is just a wall. and nothing more at all. It can be broken down,'” Hill wrote. “I pray for her continued safety and protection. I continue to work to demonstrate her innocence. And I implore the State to stop prosecuting an unjust and unfair campaign against one of our most treasured Freedom Fighters. Thank you Mama Assata. Wishing you 100 more years!”